Method for preparing acrolein from glycerol or glycerine

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for preparing acrolein from glycerol or glycerine, comprising dehydrating glycerol or glycerine in the presence of a catalyst consisting of at least a) a mixed oxide of zirconium and at least one metal, said metal being selected from niobium, tantalum and vanadium, b) a zirconium oxide and at least one metal oxide, the metal being selected from niobium, tantalum and vanadium, c) a silicon oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and at least one metal, the metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon, d) a silicon oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and at least one metal, the metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, vanadium and titanium, e) a titanium oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and at least one metal, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon, f) a titanium oxide and a mixed oxide or zirconium and at least one metal, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon. The method can be used for producing -3-(methylthio)propionic (MMP) aldehyde, 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile (HMTBN), methionine and analogues thereof from acrolein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a catalytic method for making acroleinby dehydration of glycerol or glycerine and to the application of such amethod.

BRIEF SUMMARY

By glycerol is meant a glycerol either purified or not, preferablystemming from biomass and notably a highly purified or partly purifiedglycerol. A purified glycerol has a purity greater than or equal to 98%,obtained by distillation of glycerine. A non-purified or only partlypurified glycerol may be in solution in methanol when it for examplestems from transesterification of triglycerides, as described hereafter.By glycerine is notably meant glycerine of natural origin, stemming fromhydrolysis of vegetable oils and/or animal fats, or more or lesspurified or refined or else raw glycerine of synthetic origin stemmingfrom petroleum. As an example, raw glycerine has a titer comprisedbetween 80 and 85%. Thus, subsequently in the description, reference ismainly made to the conversion of a glycerol or a glycerine stemming frombiomass, but the invention of course is not limited thereto and itsbenefit extends to all glycerols and glycerines, regardless of theirorigins and their degrees of purity.

Gradual exhaustion of fossil energies leads industrials to envision theuse of renewable raw materials stemming from the biomass for producingfuels. In this context, biodiesel is a fuel produced from vegetable oranimal oil.

This product benefits from a green aura because of a clearly favorableCO₂ balance as compared with fossil energies. Diester® (or MEVOs, MethylEsters of Vegetable Oils) is a biodiesel made by transesterification oftriglycerides present in oleaginous liquids, notably palm, rapeseed andsunflower vegetable oils, by methanol. This transesterificationco-produces approximately and according to the contemplated methods, 100kg of glycerol per metric ton of Diester®. The non-lipid portion of theraw material used, the cakes, is mainly exploited in animal feed.

This biodiesel is used, mixed with diesel oil. European Directives2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC, which will be applied in the near future,plan to introduce 7% in 2010 and 10% by the year 2015 of Diester® indiesel oils. This substantial increase in the produced amount ofbiodiesel will generate significant amounts of glycerol equivalent toseveral hundreds of thousands of tons/year.

Some 1500 uses of glycerol have already been listed, among which thefollowing illustrate its presence in many and various formulations, asexamples:

-   -   moisteners in pharmacy (in suppositories and syrups) or in        cosmetology in moisturizing creams, glycerine soaps,        toothpastes,    -   solvents in the food industry,    -   plasticizers or lubricants in the chemical industry.

These applications will prove to be clearly insufficient for absorbingthe amounts of glycerol which will be co-produced with biodiesels andalthough in progress, the conventional glycerol market (soaps, pharmacy,. . . ) will not be able either to absorb such a surplus. It istherefore vital to find new applications with which the value of verylarge volumes of glycerol may be increased.

In view of this, many outlets have been investigated these recent years(see M. Pagliaro et al, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. (2007) 46, 4434-4440 aswell as M. Pagliaro, M Rossi: The Future of Glycerol, RSC Publishing,Cambridge (2008)), with in particular the six following routes foradding value thereto:

-   -   conversion into 1,3-propanediol and into 1,2-propanediol,        notably used as base monomers in the synthesis of polyesters and        polyurethanes,    -   conversion into monoesters for the chemistry of lubricants,    -   conversion into polyglycerols used as emulsifiers, food        additives,    -   conversion into acrolein (by dehydration) and into acrylic acid        (by dehydration and oxidation),    -   direct addition of value as additives for animal feed.

Acrolein and acrylic acid are traditionally used by controlled oxidationin the gas phase of propylene by oxygen from air in the presence ofcatalysts based on molybdenum and/or bismuth oxides. The therebyobtained acrolein may either be directly integrated into a two-stepmethod for producing acrylic acid, or be used as a synthesisintermediate. The production of both of these monomers is thereforeclosely related to propylene which in substance is produced by steamcracking or catalytic cracking of petroleum cuts.

The markets of acrolein, one of the simplest unsaturated aldehydes, andof acrylic acid are gigantic since these monomers enter the compositionof many mass marketed products.

Moreover, acrolein, a highly reactive compound because of its structure,finds many applications, notably as a synthesis intermediate. It is mostparticularly used as a key intermediate entering the synthesis ofD,L-methionine and of its hydroxyl-analog derivative,2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMTBA). These food additives aremassively used since they enter the composition of food supplementsindispensable to the growth of animals (poultry, pigs, ruminants, fish,. . . ). In a certain number of cases, it may be profitable to be ableto increase, or even ensure production capacities of existing industrialunits by diversifying the engaged raw material. It therefore appears tobe most particularly of interest to be able to increase acroleinproductivity, while reducing the dependency towards this resourcestemming from petroleum which is propylene.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The invention lies in the application of robust, active, selective andregenerable catalysts, with which acrolein may be directly produced fromglycerol or glycerine, notably stemming from the biomass, according tothe reaction:

HO—CH₂—CH(OH)—CH₂—OH→CH₂═CH—CHO+2H₂O

With this alternative it is thus possible to have a competitive methodfor synthesizing acrolein, non-dependent on the propylene petroleumresource from another renewable raw material.

This possibility is particularly advantageous for synthesizingmethionine or its analogs, such as its hydroxyl-analog (HMTBA) directlyfrom the biomass.

Thus, the invention further relates to an application of this reactionto the synthesis of 3-(methylthio)propionic aldehyde (MMP),2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile (HMTBN), methionine and its analogssuch as 2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMTBA), esters of HMTBAsuch as the isopropyl ester, 2-oxo-4-methylthiobutanoic acid, fromacrolein.

Methionine, HMTBA and the esters of the latter and analogs are used inanimal nutrition and in their industrial synthesis processes, acroleinis generally obtained by oxidation of propylene and/or of propane.Oxidation of propylene into acrolein by air in the presence of water ispartial, and the resulting raw product, based on acrolein, also containsunreacted propylene and propane, water and by-products of the oxidationreaction, notably acids, aldehydes and alcohols.

Glycerol (also called glycerine) has been known for a long time as asource of acrolein (thermal transformation), it is a product which iswidely found in nature, in the form of esters (triglycerides), inparticular in all animal or vegetable oils and fats, which makes it astarting reagent available in sufficient quantity and in this respectmay be used in industry. Actually, it is known that glycerol decomposesand gives acrolein when it is brought to temperatures above 280° C. Thisweakly selective reaction is accompanied by the formation of manyby-products including acetaldehyde, hydroxyacetone, in addition to totaloxidation products, CO, CO₂. It is therefore indispensable to controlthe reaction for transforming glycerol into acrolein in order to avoidunnecessary wasting of this resource and to do without a subsequentseparation which is costly in energy with a complex acroleinpurification process. Moreover, these impurities, mainly the aromaticderivatives are often at the origin of coke formation at the surface ofthe catalyst which poisons the latter over time; it is often necessaryto regenerate the catalyst so as to again find satisfactory catalyticactivity.

Many academic and industrial researchers have studied this reaction. Theuse of supercritical water as a reaction medium was notablycontemplated. The use of a supercritical solvent on an industrial scaleremains difficult for a continuous process because of particularly heavyinfrastructures which require autoclaves operating under a very highpressure. On the other hand, the setting up of a continuous or batchprocess may be contemplated if a performing, selective and robustcatalytic system is identified.

With view to the increasing interests for this chemical alternative, theliterature mentions a great number of studies relating to the use ofcatalytic systems based on supported phosphor- or silico-tungsticheteropolyacids, mixed oxides and zeolites which may be used forcontinuous or batch processes in the liquid or gas phase.

Thus, documents WO-A-2006087083 and WO-A-2006087084 describe a methodfor catalytic dehydration of glycerol into acrolein in the gas phase, inthe presence of molecular oxygen and of a strongly acid catalystselected from zeolites, Nafion®, oxides of metals selected fromaluminium, zirconium, titanium, niobium, tantalum, silicon, impregnatedwith acid functions in the form of sulfate, borate, tungstate, silicateand phosphate groups.

Document WO-A-2007132926 discloses a method for converting glycerol intoacrolein in the presence of a catalyst selected from acid crystallinemetallosilicates such as zeolites of the MFI or BEA structural type,comprising silicon and an element preferably selected from Al, Fe andGa.

As compared with known methods, according to the described invention, amethod is provided for preparing acrolein from glycerol or glycerine, bycatalytic dehydration of glycerol in the presence of a catalyst which,while allowing conversion of the totality of the initial glycerol, mayboth be very easy to regenerate and has a long lifetime. The authors ofthe invention discovered that this catalyst was based on zirconium oxideand comprised at least:

a) a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least one metal M, said metalbeing selected from niobium, tantalum and vanadium

b) an oxide of zirconium and of at least one metal M, said metal beingselected from niobium, tantalum and vanadium,

c) a silicon oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least onemetal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, titanium, vanadium and silicon,

d) a silicon oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least onemetal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, tantalum, vanadium and titanium,

e) a titanium oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least onemetal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon.

f) a titanium oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least onemetal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon.

Thus, the invention relates to a method for obtaining acrolein fromglycerol or glycerine, in the presence of a catalyst as defined above,and to the use of this catalyst for converting glycerol or glycerineinto acrolein. A catalyst of the invention allows controlled conversionof glycerol or glycerine into acrolein, i.e. not promoting conversion asfar as acrylic acid. For this purpose, a preferred catalyst of theinvention does not comprise, or does not comprise in a majority weightproportion relatively to each of the other oxides making it up, ofmolybdenum oxide and/or copper oxide.

This is why the invention also relates to the use of at least any one ofthe catalysts a), b), c), d), e) and f), as defined earlier forconverting glycerol or glycerine into acrolein.

The catalyst may be prepared in various ways (co-precipitation,hydrothermal synthesis . . . ). An effective procedure was described byKantcheva et. al., Catalysis Communications (2008), 9(5), p 874-879, inpatents FR 2907444 and FR 2907445.

The catalyst defined earlier may further meet the preferentialcharacteristics below considered alone or as a combination:

-   -   the catalysts a)-f) only comprise the oxides and mixed oxides        defined earlier,    -   at least one of the oxides, either mixed or not, of said        catalysts a)-f) is supported,    -   the molar ratio Zr/some of the other constitutive elements of        said catalysts a)-f) different from Zr, i.e. selected from Si,        Ti and M, varies from 0.5 to 200, more advantageously it varies        from 1 to 100.

As stated earlier, the catalyst of the invention has the benefit ofbeing able to be easily regenerated, and this without affecting theyield of the dehydration or the acrolein selectivity.

The reaction according to the invention may be applied in a gas phase orin a liquid phase, preferably in a gas phase. When the reaction isconducted in a gas phase, different process technologies may be used,i.e. a fixed bed process, a fluidized bed process or a process with acirculating fluidized bed. In the first two processes, in a fixed bed orin a fluidized bed, the regeneration of the catalyst may be separatedfrom the catalytic reaction. For example it may be accomplished ex situwith conventional regeneration methods, such as combustion in air orwith a gas mixture containing molecular oxygen. According to the methodof the invention, the regeneration may be accomplished in situ since thetemperatures and pressures at which regeneration is accomplished areclose to the reaction conditions of the process.

Regarding the liquid phase process, the reaction may be achieved in aconventional reactor for reaction in a liquid phase on a solid catalyst,but also in a reactor of the catalytic distillation type considering thesignificant difference between the boiling points of glycerol (290° C.)and of acrolein (53° C.). A process in a liquid phase may alsoreasonably be contemplated at a relatively low temperature which allowscontinuous distillation of the produced acrolein, thereby limiting theconsecutive reactions of acrolein degradation. The experimentalconditions of the reaction in the gas phase are preferably a temperaturecomprised between 250 and 400° C., at a pressure comprised between 1 and10 bars. In the liquid phase, the reaction operates between 150 and 350°C. and at a pressure which may range from 3 to 70 bars.

Another advantage of the method of the invention lies in the form of thestarting glycerol or glycerine which may be in pure or partly purifiedform or in solution, notably an aqueous solution. Advantageously, anaqueous solution of glycerol is used. In an aqueous solution, theconcentration of the glycerol is preferably of at least 1%, at best itvaries from 10 to 50% by weight and preferably between 15 and 30% byweight in the reactor. The glycerol concentration should not be too highfor the purpose of avoiding parasitic reactions which burden theacrolein yield, like the formation of glycerol ethers or acetalizationreactions between the produced acrolein and the non-converted glycerol.Moreover, the glycerol solution should not be too diluted, because of aredhibitory energy cost induced by the evaporation of the glycerol. Inevery case, it is easy to adjust the glycerol concentration of thesolution by partly or totally recycling the water produced by therelevant reaction. Energy optimization at the bounds of the synthesistends to recover heat at the reaction output in order to vaporize theflow of glycerol supplied to the reactor.

The invention further provides a method for making3-(methylthio)propionic aldehyde (MMP),2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutyronitrile (HMTBN), methionine,2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (HMTBA), esters of the latter,notably the isopropyl ester, and 2-oxo-4-methylthiobutanoic acid (KMB)from acrolein, according to which the acrolein is obtained by a methoddescribed above. Comparatively to the conventional method for makingacrolein by controlled oxidation of propylene, the acrolein producedaccording to the aforementioned method may contain impurities differentfrom those of the traditional method, both under the angle of theiramount and of their nature. According to the contemplated use, synthesisof acrylic acid or of methionine or its hydroxyl analog, purification ofacrolein may be contemplated according to techniques known to oneskilled in the art.

Thus, once the acrolein is directly obtained according to the inventionor after purification, it is set to react with methylmercaptan (MSH) inorder to produce 3-(methylthio)propionic aldehyde (or MMP). In afollowing step, the MMP is put into contact with hydrocyanic acid inorder to produce 2-hydroxy-4-(methylthio) butryronitrile (HMTBN). Aftersynthesis of HMTBN, various reaction steps lead to methionine, itshydroxyl analog (HMTBA), the esters of the latter or its oxo analogue(KMB). All these steps from the synthesis of acrolein are well known toone skilled in the art.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is now described in more detail and illustratedwith the examples and figures hereafter without however limiting thescope thereof.

FIG. 1 shows the development of the conversion into glycerol and of thecorresponding acrolein selectivity over time, on each of the catalystsA, B, C and D described in the examples 1, 7, 8 and 9 respectively; thecatalysts A and B are catalysts of the invention, the catalysts C and Dare catalysts of the prior art. The time indicated for each point isthat of the end of sampling corresponding to trapping for one hour. Thereaction conditions and the calculation methods used by the acroleinconversion and selectivity are described later on.

This figure is read, substantiated by the following caption:

-   -   conversion into glycerol on catalyst A (□), B (Δ), C(⋄) or D(◯)    -   acrolein selectivity on catalyst A(▪), B(▴), C(♦) or D()

FIG. 2 illustrates the conversion to glycerol and the acroleinselectivity obtained on the catalyst A according to the invention beforeand after regeneration under an air flow.

This figure is read, substantiated by the following caption.

-   -   conversion into glycerol with fresh catalyst (Δ) and with        regenerated catalyst (▴)    -   acrolein selectivity with fresh catalyst (□) and with        regenerated catalyst (▪)

FIG. 3 illustrates a comparison of the conversion into glycerol and ofthe acrolein selectivity of this conversion over time, with each of thecatalysts A′, C and D described in Examples 2, 8 and 9 respectively;catalyst A′ is a catalyst of the invention, catalysts C and D arecatalysts of the prior art.

This figure is read substantiated by the following caption:

-   -   conversion into glycerol with catalyst A′ (▴), D() or C(Δ)    -   acrolein selectivity with catalyst A′(▪), D (x) or C(▴)

FIG. 4 illustrates the conversion into glycerol and the acroleinselectivity obtained with the catalyst A′ according to the inventionbefore and after regeneration under air flow.

This figure is read substantiated by the following caption:

-   -   conversion into glycerol with a fresh catalyst (Δ) and with a        regenerated catalyst (▴)    -   acrolein selectivity with a fresh catalyst (□) and with a        regenerated catalyst (▪).

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The reaction conditions and the methods for calculating the conversionand acrolein selectivity are described hereafter.

The reaction for dehydration of the glycerol is conducted on theindicated catalysts, at atmospheric pressure, in a straight reactor witha fixed bed of diameter 18 mm. The reactor is placed in an oven whichallows the catalyst to be maintained at the reaction temperature whichis 300° C. The volume of catalyst loaded into the reactor is 4.5 mL,which gives a bed height of about 1.8 cm. The reactor is fed with a flowrate of 3.77 g/h of aqueous solution with 20% by weight of glycerol. Theaqueous solution is vaporized by means of a C.E.M (Controlled EvaporatorMixer) Bronkhorst® evaporator in the presence of a nitrogen flow rate of75 mL/min. The glycerol/water/nitrogen molar relative portion is2.3/46.3/51.4. The calculated contact time is of the order of 1.9 s i.e.a GHSV of 1930 h⁻¹. The contact time is defined as follows:

Contact time=catalyst volume×P _(atm)/(total molar flowrate×Temperature×R)

with P_(atm)=101,325 Pa, Temperature=25° C. and total molar flowrate=molar flow rate of glycerol+molar flow rate of water+molar flowrate of the inert gas.

After reaction, the products are condensed, two systems of condensationswere used. Examples 10, 11, 12, 16, 17 and 18 were obtained with asystem of three traps mounted in series. The first trap contains a knownmass of water and is cooled by crushed ice. The two other traps containethanol and are cooled by a cryostat to −25° C. Examples 13, 14 and 15were obtained with a simple trap containing a known mass of water andcooled by crushed ice. The trapping period is one hour and the feed rateis not interrupted during the changes of traps.

The formed products are analyzed by chromatography, two analyses areconducted for each sample:

-   -   The main products of the reaction are analyzed by gas        chromatography on a capillary column (Nukol, 30 m×0.53 mm) with        a Shimadzu 2014 chromatograph provided with an FID detector. The        quantified products during this analysis are: acrolein,        acetaldehyde, acetone, propionaldehyde, hydroxypropanone, acetic        acid, allyl alcohol and phenol;    -   The remaining glycerol is quantified by gas chromatography with        a Hewlett Packard chromatograph equipped with an FID detector        and a capillary column (Carbowax or ZBwax, 30 m×0.32 mm).

The glycerol conversion, the acrolein selectivity and the yield ofdifferent products are defined as follows:

Glycerol conversion (%)=100×(1−number of remaining glycerol moles/numberof introduced glycerol moles)

Acrolein selectivity (%)=100×(number of produced acrolein moles/numberof unreacted glycerol moles)

Yield of X (%)=K×100×number of produced X moles/number of introducedglycerol moles

With K=1 if X is acrolein, acetone, hydroxypropanone, propanal or allylalcohol; K=2/3 if X=acetaldehyde or acetic acid and K=2 if X=phenol.

Example 1 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst A

A catalyst according to the invention of the zirconium and niobium oxidetype prepared from zirconium oxide hydrate and ammoniumoxalate-niobiate, (NH₄)(C₂O₄)₂NbO.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99.99%). The zirconiumoxide hydrate is prepared by co-precipitation of a solution of zirconiumoxonitrate ZrO(NO₃)₂.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99%) and a 28% ammonia solution atpH=8.8.

The ammonium oxalate-niobiate is dissolved in permuted water acidifiedwith concentrated HNO₃ at pH˜0.5 and heated to 45° C. After returning toroom temperature, the zirconium hydroxide hydrate is added in aZrO₂/Nb₂O₅ molar ratio of 3:1, the hydration degree of the zirconiumoxide hydrate is determined beforehand by thermogravimetric analysis(TGA). After 24 h with stirring, the mixture is filtered and the solidis calcined under air flow at 600° C. The specific surface area of thiscatalyst is 40 m²/g. The specific surface areas of the solids weremeasured with the BET (Brunauer Emmet and Teller) method at −196° C. ona Micromeritics ASAP 2020 apparatus. The solids are desorbed beforehandat 300° C. for 3 h in a vacuum of 5×10⁻⁵ mbars. The niobium and zirconiacontents of the different prepared solids were determined by ICP-OES(Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry). The Zr/Nbmolar ratio of the catalyst A calculated from these analyses is 9.3.

Example 2 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst A′

A catalyst according to the invention of the zirconium and niobium oxidetype is prepared according to the procedure described by Kantcheva. et.Al, Catalysis Communications (2009), 9(5), p 874-879, by impregnation ofzirconium oxide hydrate.

The zirconium oxide hydrate was prepared by co-precipitation of asolution of zirconium oxonitrate ZrO(NO₃)₂.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99%) and of a28% ammonia solution. The precursor of Nb(V), (NH₄)(C₂O₄)₂NbO.xH₂O(Aldrich, 99.99%) is added with stirring to a 35% hydrogen peroxidesolution (Sigma Aldrich) acidified to pH≈0.5 with concentrated HNO₃ andheated to 50° C. The H₂O₂/oxalate molar ratio is 13/1. The solution isheated for 1 h at 50° C. before being cooled down to room temperature.Next, the zirconium oxide hydrate is again added while ensuring aZrO₂:Nb₂O₅ ratio of 6:1, the hydration degree of the zirconium oxidehydrate being determined by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Themixture is left with stirring at room temperature for 24 hrs and theliquid phase is then evaporated in vacuo at T<70° C. The obtained solidis calcined under air flow at 600° C.

The specific surface area of this catalyst is 51 m²/g. The specificsurface areas of the solids were measured by the BET (Brunauer Emmet andTeller) a −196° C. on a Micromeritics ASAP 2020 apparatus. The solidsare desorbed beforehand at 300° C. for 3 hours in a vacuum of 5×10⁻⁵mbars. The niobium and zirconium contents of the obtained solids weredetermined by ICP-OES. The Zr/Nb molar ratio of this solid is 3.3.

Example 3 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst E

A catalyst according to the invention of the zirconium and niobium oxidetype is prepared according to the procedure described by Kantcheva. et.Al, (Catalysis Communications 9(5), (2008) p 874-879), by impregnationof zirconium oxide hydrate with a solution containing a mixed ammoniumand niobium oxalate.

The precursor of Nb(V), (NH₄)(C₂O₄)₂NbO.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99.99%) is addedwith stirring to a 35% hydrogen peroxide solution (Sigma Aldrich)acidified to pH˜0.5 with concentrated HNO₃ and heated to 50° C. TheH₂O₂/oxalate molar ratio is 13/1. The solution is heated for 1 h at 50°C. before being cooled down to room temperature. Next, the zirconiumoxide hydrate prepared beforehand by co-precipitation of a solution ofzirconium oxonitrate (ZrO(NO₃)_(s).xH₂O (Aldrich, 99%) and of a 28%ammonia solution, is added while ensuring a ZrO₂:Nb₂O₅ ratio of 6:1. Themixture is maintained with stirring at room temperature for 24 hrs andthe liquid phase is then evaporated in vacuo at T<70° C. The obtainedsolid is calcined under an air flow at 600° C.

The specific surface area of this catalyst determined in a similar wayto that of catalyst A is 39 m²/g. The niobium and zirconium contents ofthe obtained solid were determined by ICP-OES. The molar ratio Zr/Nb ofthis solid is 3.7.

Example 4 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst F

A catalyst according to the invention of the zirconium, niobium andvanadium oxide type is prepared. The vanadium precursor was preparedfrom NH₄VO₃ (Sigma, ACS Reagent 99.7%) according to the followingmethod:

Ammonium metavanadate is dissolved in a 9% hydrogen peroxide solutioncontaining oxalic acid (Aldrich, 99%). The oxalic acid/introduced NH₄VO₃molar ratio is 1.3. After 1 hr with stirring at room temperature, thesolution is evaporated in vacuo; a blue solid is obtained. The vanadiumoxide content of this compound is determined by thermogravimetricanalysis.

The vanadium precursor, the mixed niobium and ammonium oxylate(NH₄)C₂O₄)₂NbO.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99.99%), and the zirconium oxide hydrateprepared as described in Example 1 are introduced into an aqueoussolution acidified with concentrated HNO₃ (pH<0.5) with a Zr/Nb/V molarratio of 72/22/3.2. After 24 hrs with stirring, the reaction medium isfiltered and the solid is calcined under air flow at 600° C. Thespecific surface area of this catalyst determined in a similar way tothat of catalyst A is 48 m²/g. The niobium, vanadium and zirconiumcontents of the obtained solid were determined by ICP-OES. The Zr/Nb/Vmolar composition of this catalyst is 90.4/8.4/1.2.

Example 5 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst G

A catalyst according to the invention of the tungstated zirconia typedoped with silica is prepared. The preparation of this solid includesthree steps. The first step is the synthesis of zirconium hydroxidehydrate by co-precipitation of a solution of zirconium oxonitrateZrO(NO₃)₂.xH₂O (Aldrich, 99%) and a 29% ammonia solution at pH=8.8. Thesecond step comprises stabilizing the zirconium hydroxide hydrate withsilicic species according to the procedure described by Nahas et. al(Journal of Catalysis 247 (2007), p 51-60). The zirconium hydroxidehydrate is placed in a glass flask containing an ammoniacal solution,the pH of which is adjusted to 11. The mixture is refluxed for 72 hrsand then filtered and washed with permuted water. The last step is theexchange between tungstic acid H₂WO₄ (Aldrich 99%) dissolved in hydrogenperoxide and zirconium hydroxide. The tungstic acid is dissolved in a35% hydrogen peroxide solution at 60° C. The tungstic acid concentrationof the solution is 0.04M. The tungstic acid solution is then cooled downto room temperature, and the zirconium hydroxide doped with silica isslowly added. The obtained solid is filtered and then calcined in air at650° C. Its specific surface area is 40 m²/g. The niobium, silicon andzirconium contents of the solid were determined by ICP-OES. The W/Si/Zrmolar composition of this catalyst is 4.7/1.4/93.9.

Example 6 Synthesis of the Catalyst H

The catalyst H is prepared according to the synthesis method describedin Example 1. The pH of the nitric acid solution is slightly more acid(pH<0.1) in the case of the catalyst H. The obtained solid has aspecific surface area of 57 m²/g and a Zr/Nb molar ratio of 11.8.

Example 7 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst B

The ZrTiSiW catalyst according to the invention was prepared by Rhodiaaccording to the method described in patent FR2907445A. The specificsurface area of this catalyst, determined in a similar way to that ofcatalyst A, is 105 m²/g. The weight composition of oxides of thiscatalyst is 54% of ZrO₂, 35% of TiO₂, 7.5% of SiO₂ and 3.5% of WO₃.

Example 8 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst C (aComparative Catalyst from the Prior Art)

The catalyst C is a tungstated zirconia (89.5% ZrO₂— 10.5% WO₃)synthesised by Daiichi Kigenso (supplier reference: Z-1104). Thespecific surface area of this catalyst determined in a similar way tothat of catalyst A is 77 m²/g.

Example 9 Preparation and Characterization of the Catalyst D (aComparative Catalyst from the Prior Art)

Catalyst D is an H-ZSM-5 zeolite provided by Zeochem (ZEOcat PZ-2/5OH).The specific surface area of this catalyst determined in a similar wayto that of catalyst A is 406 m²/g.

Example 10 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein: Evaluationof the Catalysts A, B, C and D

Table 1 gives the performances obtained with the catalysts A, B, C and Dat 6 hrs of reaction.

TABLE 1 A B C B (inven- (inven- (compar- (compar- tion) tion) ative)ative) Conversion of glycerol 100 100 94 57 Acrolein selectivity 66 6964 65 Acrolein yield 66 69 60 37 Acetaldehyde yield 6.3 6.5 3.9 0.6Propionaldehyde yield 3.1 5.4 2.8 1.6 Acetone yield 1.7 2.7 1.6 0.0Allyl alcohol 0.1 0.5 0.5 0.2 Hydroxypropanone yield 5.8 3.1 6.1 3.0Phenol yield 2.6 0.8 0.3 —

This table shows that with an equal catalyst volume, only the catalystsA and B (according to the invention) allow total conversion of theglycerol. Further, with the catalysts of the invention, it is possibleto obtain better acrolein selectivity, already visible at 6 hrs andwhich is confirmed at 50 hrs, with an acrolein yield of 70% for catalystA and 80% for catalyst B.

The catalysts A and B are therefore more active and more selective thanthe catalysts of the prior art.

Example 11 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein:Time-Dependent Change of the Performances of the Catalysts A, B, C and D

The change in the performances of the catalyst A, B, C and D over time,obtained under the same conditions as in Example 4 is shown in FIG. 1.

The catalysts A and B (invention) maintain constant acrolein selectivityand high glycerol conversion over several days unlike the catalysts Cand D of the prior art which are strongly deactivated within less than24 hrs.

The catalysts A and B of the invention are therefore more active, moreacrolein-selective but also more stable over time than the bestcatalysts claimed in the prior art.

Example 12 Regeneration of the Catalyst A

After 143 hrs in a reaction mixture at 300° C., the catalyst A accordingto the invention is regenerated under an air flow of 450° C. for 2 hrs(air flow rate: 51 mL/min). After regeneration, the catalyst is testedunder the same operating conditions as before regeneration.

The obtained results are shown in FIG. 2. The regeneration in air at450° C. allowed the catalyst A to recover its activity and its initialyield. The catalyst A according to the invention is thereforeregenerable over a short time and without any loss of activity andselectivity. Not only the catalyst A is active and selective but it isalso entirely and easily regenerable.

Example 13 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein: Comparisonof the Catalytic Properties of the Catalysts A′, D and C

Table 2 gives the performances obtained at 300° C. with the catalystsA′, B and C at 5 hrs of reaction.

TABLE 2 A′ D C (invention) (comparative) (comparative) Glycerolconversion 100 88 99 Acrolein yield 46.8 38.8 45.6 Acrolein selectivity47 44 46 Acetaldehyde yield 7.9 1.3 4.6 Propionaldehyde yield 14.3 3.58.9 Acetone yield 1.4 0 2.1 Allyl alcohol yield 0.9 0.5 0.5Hydroxypropanone yield 3.4 4.8 5.8 Acetic acid yield — 0.9 0.6 Phenolyield 3.4 0.2 1.3

This table shows that with an equal volume of catalysts, only catalystA′ (according to the invention) allows total conversion of the glycerol.Further, with the catalyst A′, it is possible to obtain better acroleinselectivity. The catalyst A′ is therefore more active and more selectivethan the catalysts of the prior art.

Example 14 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein:Time-Dependent Change in the Performances of the Catalysts A′, D and C

The change in the performances of the catalysts A′, D and C over time isshown in FIG. 3.

The catalyst A′ (invention) maintains quasi-constant acroleinselectivity and high glycerol conversion over one week in a reactionflow unlike the catalysts D and C of the prior art which are stronglydeactivated within less than 24 hrs.

The catalyst A′ of the invention is therefore more active, more acroleinselective and more stable over time than the best catalysts claimed inthe prior art.

Example 15 Regeneration of Catalyst A′

After 183 hrs in a reaction mixture, the catalyst A′ according to theinvention is regenerated under air flow at 450° C. for 1 hr (air flowrate: 51 mL/min). After regeneration, the catalyst is tested under thesame operating conditions as before the regeneration.

The obtained results are shown in FIG. 4.

Regeneration in air at 450° C. allowed the catalyst A′ to recover itsactivity and its initial yield. The catalyst A′ according to theinvention is therefore regenerable over a short time and without anyloss of activity and selectivity. Not only the catalyst A′ is active andselective but it is also entirely and easily regenerable.

Example 16 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein: Evaluationof the Catalysts E and F (According to the Invention)

Table 3 gives the obtained performances of the catalysts E and F.

TABLE 3 E F Hour at the end of the sampling 5 20 48 72 95 6 24 Glycerolconversion 100 98 97 94 90 100 94 Acrolein selectivity 60 72 73 72 71 5051 Acrolein yield 60 71 71 68 63 50 48 Actetaldehyde yield 4.9 3.1 2.62.6 2.5 8 5.5 Propionaldehyde yield 6.8 4.8 3.9 3.9 3.8 5.8 4 Acetoneyield 1.9 1.7 1 1.1 0.9 4.1 3.2 Allyl alcohol yield 0.6 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.73.2 4.4 Hydroxypropanone 5.1 12.2 13.5 13.1 12.4 3.1 7.7 yield Phenolyield 1.9 0.9 0.5 0.5 0.3 1.3 0.7

Example 17 Catalytic Dehydration of Glycerol into Acrolein: Evaluationof the Catalyst G (According to the Invention)

Table 4 gives the performances of the catalyst.

TABLE 4 Hour at the end of the sampling 4 23 42 Glycerol conversion 9896 87 Acrolein selectivity 68 80 83 Acrolein yield 67 77 72Actetaldehyde yield 4.2 3.5 2.4 Propionaldehyde yield 3.1 2.4 1.6Acetone yield 1.2 1.3 0.9 Allyl alcohol yield 0.7 0.9 0.6Hydroxypropanone yield 5.2 10.9 9.7 Phenol yield 0.8 0.2 —

Example 18 Obtaining Acrolein from Non-Pure Glycerol with the Catalyst H

The performances of catalyst H were evaluated with a solution of rawindustrial glycerine with a titer of 82% by weight. This glycerine ischaracterized in that it contains more than 15% by weight of methanol.As in the previous examples, the catalyst volume in the reactor is 4.5mL, the nitrogen flow rate is 74.5 mL/min and the reaction temperatureis 300° C. The flow rate of the aqueous solution with 20% by weight ofglycerine is 3.77 g/h. The glycerol/water/nitrogen molar relativeproportion is 1.9/46.5/51.6. The obtained results are given in table 5.

TABLE 5 Hour at the end of the sampling 8 26 51 76 100 172 Glycerolconversion 100 100 100 100 99 90 Acrolein selectivity 56 71 73 73 73 75Acrolein yield 56 71 73 73 72 68 Actetaldehyde yield 7.4 6.2 5.4 4.6 3.92.8 Propionaldehyde yield 5.2 3.6 3.1 2.8 2.4 1.9 Acetone yield 2.0 2.01.4 1.2 0.9 0.6 Allyl alcohol yield 0.9 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5Hydroxypropanone yield 1.9 11.1 14.5 15.6 17.9 17.5 Phenol yield 5.0 1.70.9 0.6 0.4 0.2

The presence of a significant amount of methanol does not lower theperformances of the catalyst of the invention.

1. A method for preparing acrolein from glycerol or glycerine, wheredehydration of the glycerol or glycerine is achieved in the presence ofa catalyst based on zirconium oxide and comprising: a) a mixed oxide ofzirconium and of at least one metal M, said metal being selected fromniobium, tantalum and vanadium, b) a zirconium oxide and at least onemetal M oxide, said metal being selected from niobium, tantalum andvanadium, c) a silicon oxide, a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at leastone metal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon, d) a silicon oxideand a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least one metal M, said metalbeing selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum,vanadium and titanium, e) a titanium oxide, a mixed oxide of zirconiumand of at least one metal M, said metal being selected from tungsten,cerium, manganese, niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon, f)a titanium oxide and a mixed oxide of zirconium and of at least onemetal M, said metal being selected from tungsten, cerium, manganese,niobium, tantalum, titanium, vanadium and silicon.
 2. The methodaccording to claim 1, wherein the catalyst comprises at least a) a mixedoxide of zirconium and of at least one metal M and b) a zirconium oxideand at least one metal M oxide.
 3. The method according to claim 1,wherein at least one of the oxides of said catalyst a) to f) issupported.
 4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the (Zr/sum ofthe elements Si, Ti and M, different from Zr) molar ratio varies from0.5 to
 200. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said molar ratiovaries from 1 to
 100. 6. The method according to any of claim 1, whereinthe glycerol is in aqueous solution at a concentration of at least 1% byweight.
 7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the glycerolconcentration of the aqueous solution varies from 10 to 50% by weight.8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the catalyst is regenerated.9. A method for making 3-(methylthio)propionic aldehyde MMP,2-hydroxy-4-,methylthiobutyronitrile HMTBN, methionine,2-hydroxy-4-methylthiobutanoic acid HMTBA, esters of the latter, or2-oxo-methylthiobutanoic acid KMB, from acrolein, wherein the acroleinis obtained with a method according to claim
 1. 10. The method accordingto claim 1, wherein the hydration reaction is conducted in a gas phase.11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the dehydration reactionis conducted in a reactor with a fixed bed, a fluidized bed or acirculating fluidized bed.
 12. The method according to claim 1, whereinthe dehydration reaction is conducted in a liquid phase.
 13. (canceled)